Stressed about moving to Germany? Don't worry, the German government has just the book for you – even if the information it contains is slightly random at times.

 

 

'A Manual for Germany' covers almost all aspects of German life and culture 

To expats living in or moving to Germany, the country can look like a complicated beast. Lift the hood to peek at the intricate machinery of its bureaucracy and you might be tempted to run screaming from the land. And when the fiddly procedure of your paperwork breaks down, you might think it best to call in the professionals rather than try to tackle the job yourself.

However have-a-go amateurs can finally avail themselves of a manual to the Federal Republic, allowing fearless enthusiasts to tinker with the bureaucratic engine without having to pay through the nose for professional help.

'A Manual for Germany' ('Ein Handbüch für Deutschland') was published in January 2005 by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration. The ambitious set of instructions, available in English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish, aims to equip the immigrant to cope with all aspects of German life and culture, from 'Arbeitsschutz' to 'Zahlen und Maße'. Wondering how to become a German citizen? Not sure how to get a flat? Confused about the function of a pub? It's all in there – even though the advice can be a bit random at times.

A mixed bag

Rather than providing all the answers to your questions, the manual may in parts remind you of the imperfectly-translated, slightly mystifying instructions which came with your Italian coffee maker. It also reveals more about German attitudes to immigration than was perhaps the intention.

The handbook explains the law that expats need, in English

The handbook is on safest ground when it comes to black and white issues such as labour law, residence permits and social security, and provides an authoritative and useful overview of the most important legal issues that an expat in Germany needs to know about. This alone makes it worthwhile reading for any newcomer to Germany.

However, for a publication produced by the federal government, it does at times seem oddly reluctant to commit itself to providing authoritative information: "The rules are fixed but flexible," it says encouragingly at the start of the 'Foreigners' Rights' section. "There is almost no rule that does not have an exception" - a sentiment familiar to anyone who has experienced the occasionally arbitrary nature of bureaucratic decisions in Germany.

Foreign or strange?

While undoubtedly useful, the Manual does occasionally put its foot in it somewhat. Marieluise Beck, the 'German Government Representative for Migration, Refugees and Integration', shows a certain insensitivity to the issues affecting immigrants in her foreword. She quotes a "clever pun" coined by the cabaret artist Karl Valenin ("Foreigners only feel foreign in a foreign environment"), apparently not realising that puns, by their very nature rarely translatable, are perhaps not best suited to a text due to appear in five other languages. (The German original "Fremd ist der Fremde nur in der Fremde" makes more sense.) Apart from anything else, the word 'fremd', with its connotations of strangeness and otherness, is perhaps not one that should be bandied about in an introduction supposed to make an immigrant feel at home.

She goes on to say that "We hope the word 'foreigner' will soon become a foreign word for you", which seems slightly opaque until one consults the German original and sees that "foreign word" refers to 'Fremdwort', a concept which does not actually exist in English. The fact that German even has a word for 'Fremdwort' (according to one definition "a word which has been taken from another language … and which is seen as foreign") says something about German attitudes to the 'Other'.

Elsewhere in the book, German attitudes to nationality and immigrants are clearly illustrated. "Today, more than seven million foreigners live in Germany, almost nine percent of the population," it states in the 'History of immigration to Germany' section, adding that "one quarter were born in Germany." The idea of being born in Germany but still counting as a foreigner is perhaps itself foreign to many people.

Similarly 'Spätaussiedler' (ethnic Germans, generally from eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, descended from 18th and 19th century emigrants) are described as "immigrants of German origin", which also tells the prospective immigrant something about German attitudes to nationality.

Odd choices

The manual gives an overview of German employment law

The translation is on the whole error-free, with the occasional mistake such as describing organic meat as coming from "animals that are raised humanly" or a (particularly embarrassing) slip on the back cover where it specifies that the handbook "ist not intended for sale".

However the translators (the Berlin agency Translationes, who, as self-described specialists in texts on renewable energy, were perhaps not the best choice for a text giving advice to immigrants) have unfortunately chosen - contrary to usual practice - not to capitalise 'Holocaust' when referring to the Nazi genocide of the Jews. Considering the target readership of the book, and the sensitivity of this period of history, the lapse is regrettable.

The choice of content itself is in places quite bizarre. For example, the curiously short 'Art and Culture' section skips breathlessly from the Nibelungen to Goethe to Beuys before giving the snippets of information (which seem like illegal aliens smuggled in from another section) that cafes "serve espresso, cappuccino and café au lait" and "potatoes are served as a side dish along with French baguettes and Turkish flat bread."

Breaking down German culture

Other advice also seems a bit random. In the 'Shopping' section the manual points out that "The price of groceries tends to be non-negotiable", while under 'Accommodation' it explains that "Keeping animals such as sheep and pigs, etc, [in flats] is generally not permitted."

Other information is perhaps a little too obvious. Under 'Leisure' it explains that "People meet with friends in pubs and spend the evening together, drinking beer and chatting", in case you weren't sure what went on in pubs exactly, and goes on to say "It is common practice in Germany to meet with friends and family at the weekends or to meet in the evenings in a bar or restaurant".

At times, the book strikes an oddly plaintive note, showing a surprising willingness to admit to the difficulties of expat life. In the 'Language' section it confesses that "A common saying in German is: 'Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache' which means 'German language, difficult language'."

Immigrants moving into a new apartment are warned that "Some people are pleased to see new faces, while others don't care who lives in the same house." And should you be taking public transport, don't expect an easy ride: "Ticket machines can be difficult to use. […] The Deutsche Bahn has a complicated pricing system."

One fatalistic sentiment that many expats can relate to is found under the 'Punctuality' section: "Not everything goes exactly to plan all the time in Germany." Every manual needs a disclaimer.

'A Manual for Germany' can be downloaded from www.handbuch-deutschland.de

Expats living in or moving to Germany can also find useful practical information on where to live, personal finance, the job market, healthcare and many other topics in Expatica's Survival Guide.

July 2005

Copyright Expatica 2005

Subject: ''A Manual for Germany', 'Ein Handbüch für Deutschland', moving to Germany, information for immigrants